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Date	May 2018	Marks available	12	Reference code	18M.2.SL.TZ0.4
Level	SL	Paper	2 (model questions)	Time zone	no time zone
Command term	To what extent	Question number	4	Adapted from	N/A

Question

Resource booklet: Responsible mobile device usage

Source A

Source B

Data from two separate samples of teenagers aged 13 to 16. The samples were taken in the USA and included 1014 participants in 2013 and 1215 in 2019.

Source C

The Family Sense app (see Figure 1) is designed to make families aware of how long they spend interacting with their mobile devices and encourage them to limit their screen time.

Figure 1: The Family Sense app

The app collects information from each device. It logs data, such as how many times the device has been picked up, which apps are most frequently used, and how much overall time is spent on the device. This information is stored on the device and shared with all the family.

The Family Sense app allows daily limits to be set for each family member. It also allows anyone in the family to enforce a one-hour period of screen-free time. People can still make and receive telephone calls, listen to music, etc., with their screens turned off, but the device will make a loud alarm sound if they try to use it for anything else.

Source D

Extract from a school newsletter to parents and caregivers on responsible mobile phone use for children and teenagers

Dear parents and caregivers,

If your child has a mobile phone, we encourage you to discuss and agree on mobile phone usage rules that focus on safety issues and healthy habits. Some discussion points you might consider are:

cyberbullying
using social media
access to unsuitable content on the internet
only responding to known phone numbers/callers
sharing of personal information or images
screen-free time
data usage.

Respectfully,

Principal Zhang

Mobile devices provide many benefits for children but can also be used inappropriately. Some groups claim it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their children use their mobile devices responsibly, while other groups claim that responsibility lies with other stakeholders, such as schools.

With reference to all the sources and your own knowledge, to what extent do you agree that parents should be responsible for ensuring their children develop safe and healthy habits for mobile device usage?

Markscheme

Answers may include:

Role of parents:

Setting/negotiating limits, goals (Source C and D).
Following through with consequences, responsibility.
Modelling good practice by moderating their usage in front of their children (Source A and B).
Use of technology-based solutions as noted in Source C.
Setting boundaries and promoting non-technology activities, e.g., screen-free evenings/holidays, charging overnight in a common space (Source C and D).
Controlling access through data plans and encouraging children to pay for their own data after the limit has been reached (responsibility, accountability).
Watching for warning signs, including spending too much time alone, not getting enough sleep, worse physical health, and not taking part in healthy activities (mental health).

Role of schools:

Policies may ban/restrict/monitor the use of social media/mobile phones to encourage face-to-face communication (Source B).
May have clear and consistent policies/guidelines/consequences for use, e.g., in class only for educational use.
Promote the educational use of mobile devices, e.g., educational apps, time management, self-management, podcasts.
Online safety as part of a pastoral programme/curriculum (education).

Responsibility of other stakeholders
Role of government:

Not all parents are aware of safety issues and need to be educated themselves (education). Governments could play a role with campaigns/laws to raise awareness targeted at parents (Source A).
National campaigns targeted at children for alternatives to phone usage/social media (Source A and B).
Changes in laws, such as increase in age for access to social media sites (e.g., COPPA).
Healthcare funding for research into and support for addiction/mental health.

Role of social media companies:

Accounts may need to have more rigorous age-verification methods before usage.
Activate time limits settings in apps such as Facebook and Instagram.
Mobile devices can track/monitor usage such as screen time, apps used.
Analyse data collected to provide insights that may be used to improve/promote safety and healthy habits (digital literacy).

Marking notes: It is not necessary to explicitly refer to each source to achieve the highest mark band, but there must be an explicit reference to at least two sources. To achieve the highest markband the sources must be synthesized in an integrated manner rather than a systematic analysis of each individual source.

Keywords: education, responsibility, accountability, privacy, anonymity, monitoring, surveillance, apps, social media, regulations, policies, laws, health, addiction, mental well-being, change, power, systems, ethics, values

Refer to SL/HL paper 2 question 4 markbands when awarding marks. These can be found under the "Your tests" tab > supplemental materials > Digital society markbands and guidance document.